Boxing glove



HILTON I 2,416,444

BOXING GLOVE Filed Nov. 6, 1944 2 SheetsSheet l x/vvsxvran AL arm- HILTON A. HILTON BOXING GLOVE Feb. 25, 1947.

Filed Nov. 6, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lA/VE/VI'OA Mae-k7 HILTON 42- w A gaw Patented Feb. 25, 1947 BOXING GLOVE Albert Hilton, Mount Healthy, Ohio, assignor to Sport Products, -Inc., Cincinnati, Qhio, a cor-.-

por t n of Ohi Application November 6, 1944, Serial No. 562,081

2 Claims. 1

My invention relates to boxing gloves and particularly to improvements in the constructive principle involved in the shaping and padding of boxing gloves whereby a new and surprising utility is brought about which avoids the defects of previous .gloves in thumb construction .and minimizes the possibilities of eye injuries to opponents by gouging either purposeful or accidental, with the tip of the thumb.

Most standard boxing gloves are made like a mitten with separate fabric lining pocket for the palm of the hand and with an attached extended padded thumb portion extending from the palm of the glove. The separate thumb is liable to be twisted or bent back causing injury to the thumb of the boxer and with the large bulky thumb portion, a glancing blow is liable to cause the thumb to gouge into an opponents eyes or face.

Improvements in boxing gloves have been suggested whereby the entire hand, including the thumb, fits into the opening or socket in the glove. The thumb is free to clench over the middle and top joint of the forefinger but in order to hold the glove securely on the hand, the boxer must keep his fist clenched all the time. This weakens the drive of the boxer in striking a blow because the clenching muscles of the hand tire very quickly and, without realizing it, after the boxer has held his fist clenched for some seconds, in order to hold the glove on firmly, and by the time he sees an opening for striking a blow, his hand muscles are too weak to make it effective.

The above object and other objects to be recited, I accomplish by that certain combination and arrangement of parts of which I have illustrated a preferred embodiment.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my new glove in open position with the position of the hand within the glove indicated in a shaded area.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the glove showing the construction permitting clenching of the fist within the glove in a normal manner.

The outer portion of the glove is ordinarily composed of soft-pieces of glove leather. Then there is hair padding within the glove. Leather pieces are ordinarily used as reinforcement on the edges of the inner surface of the glove and then cloth lining is ordinarily employed as an inner lining and to hold the padding in position. My improved glove may be made with these same usual materials.

Referring to the drawings, the back and outer sides of the glove are composed of a single piece 2 of soft glove leather 1. The palm of the hand is formed with another single piece of soft glove leather 2. A slit 3 is formed in the piece 2 and perforations 4 .are providedfor receiving the lacing .5 which draws the glove tightly around the hand. A thumb piece 6 is stitched as shown at l to one side edge of the back piece I, and along the adjacent side edge of the front or palm piece 2 as shown at 8. Preferably a reinforcing strap of leather, as shown at 9, reinforces the line of stitching which secures the inner edge of the thumb piece to the adjacent side edge of the palm piece.

The hair padding is held in position between the outer pieces I, 2 and 3 by means of fabric lining, and while the particular location of the padding may be changed it may be said to incorporate a large pad Ill, several inches in thickness for the back of the hand (the hitting portion), a protruding pad II at the top of the fingers, a thumb protector pad l2 for the thumb and a pad l3 over the thumb. The wrist portion is also provided with wrist pads M.

The particular constructive principle involved and which permits normal flexing of the hand as for light tapping with the tip of the glove, and at the same time permits normal clenching of the fist with the thumb lying adjacent to the index finger or even slightly overlapping it, as shown in Figure 2, is the thumb construction. The thumb socket is independent of the palm socket being actually closed by a leather and fabric wall yet at the tip of the thumb socket the contour of the socket is such that the tip of the thumb may extend close to the edge of the index finger, as shown in Figure 1. While the thumb socket is padded to the outside there is no padding between the inner side of the socket and the palm socket.

When the fist is clenched the directionof the tubular opening in the thumb socket permits the thumb to overlap against the index finger.

By omitting the titching of this socket to leave the end open the thumb may be actually overlapped over the back of the index finger as shown in Figure 2.

A reinforcing palm grip I5 is formed by a tubular insert of padding held in place by stitching I6. This permits the fingers of the palm to fold over a tubular reinforcement when the fist is clenched.

Modifications in the particular design of the glove which incorporate the principle of a detached thumb socket with its inner end extending to adjacent the palm socket, will readily occur together, the first piece forming the back and and the third piece forming the thumb portion, the thumb portion being stitched along one side to the back piece and alongthe other side to the palm portion, the thumb portion being padded and having a socket formed with lining material secured thereto, said socket at its end extending adjacent the side edge of the palm portion, and the lining being unstitched at the tip of the thumb socket to permit the tip of the thumb to touch the side of the index finger of the hand of a boxer wearing the glove. '2. A boxing glove having a lining and padding held in place by the lining, the glove having its exterior cover formed essentially from three sides, the second piece forming the palm portion pieces of soft leather or its equivalent, stitched 7 together, the first piece forming the back and sides, the second piece forming the palm portion and the third piece forming the thumb portion, the thumb portion being stitched along one side to the back' piece and along the other side to the palm portion, the thumb portion being padded and having a'socket formed, with lining material secured thereto, said socket at its end extending adjacent the side edge of the palm portion, and the lining being unstitched at the tip of the thumb socket to permit the tip of the thumb to touch the 'side of the index finger of the hand of a boxer wearing the glove, whereby when the fist is cl nched the thumb may move into positioh overlapping and overlying the index finger.

ALBERT HILTON.

REFERENCE S CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Bridgewater Apr. 21, 192 5 Number 

